The Merciless Travis Wilde

“Does it involve ‘honey’?”

Jake’s tone barely masked his laughter—and his curiosity.

Travis took a deep breath. What the hell, he decided, maybe it was time.

“Tell you what. I’ll meet you guys there. I won’t stay long. I...” Deep, deep breath. “I have to get home. To Jennie.”

“To who?”

“Her name is Jennie,” Travis said quietly. “And I guess it’s time you guys knew about her.”

Jake finally located his tongue, hanging somewhere in the vicinity of his chest.

“Sounds good,” he said.

Then he hung up the phone, called Caleb and said, “You are never going to believe this but it looks like Travis is hooked.”

“Hooked?”

“As in, he’s coming by tonight.”

“So?”

“He won’t stay long. He has a woman waiting for him. At home.”

There was a moment of silence. Then Caleb Wilde laughed.

“Uh-oh,” he said.

Jake grinned. “Ain’t that the truth?”

* * *

A few hours later, Travis paced the living room of his penthouse.

He’d gone home early.

Stupid thing to do.

Today was Jennie’s late day at the university. She wouldn’t be home for another half hour, which was more than enough time for him to have second-guessed himself a hundred times.

Telling Jake he’d meet him and Caleb tonight. What for? He was going to tell Jennie he loved her. He wouldn’t want to leave her after that.

Okay.

Okay, no problem.

He’d take her with him. Introduce her to his brothers...

No. Forget that. He’d tell her he loved her. Then she’d tell him what it was that, when he least expected it, stole the joy from her smile.

Travis ran his hands through his hair.

Dumb thing to do, piling on so many heavy things for one eve—

The elevator hummed. Made the soft thump it always made when it stopped.

He swung toward it.

The doors opened.

Jennie stepped from the car.

“Sweetheart,” he said...

And stopped.

God, the look on her face! It was one of such sorrow that he forgot everything, ran to her, took her in his arms and drew her into the room.

“Jen? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She was lying. He could see it. He could feel it, too. She was trembling.

He scooped her up. Carried her to a big leather chair. Sat down with her held tightly in his arms.

“Honey. Don’t lock me out. I know there’s something you’re keeping from me—”

“I love you,” she said. “I know I’m not supposed to tell you that but—”

He could have sworn he felt his heart take wing.

“Jennie. My beloved Jennie. I love you, too.”

“See, I’ve studied the dynamics of—of—” For an instant, her eyes lit with happiness. “What did you say?”

“I said I adore you. I love you. I want to marry you. I want us to have kids, raise horses, do whatever makes you happy as we grow old together...”

A sob burst from her throat.

“No! I can’t.”

“Jennie—”

She shot to her feet.

“I can’t marry you,” she whispered.

“Of course you can.”

She shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. There’s something I—something I haven’t told you. I should have. I know I should have, but—”

Travis stood and gathered her into his arms.

“Whatever it is,” he said softly, “we’ll deal with it.”

She made a little sound, something between a laugh and a sob.

“We can’t deal with it.”

“Of course we can. I can. Is it a legal problem? Caleb will help us. Is it something in your past? Whatever it is—”

“I’m sick.”

“I know. The migraines. We’ll take care of those, too. My doctor—”

“Travis.” Jennie took a deep breath. Travis tried to draw her closer to him, but she kept a distance between them by flattening her hands against his chest. “I—I have—I have...” She shut her eyes, then opened them again, and looked into the eyes of her lover. “I have a tumor,” she whispered. “In my brain.”

He stared at her while he tried to process her words.

“A tumor? But—”

“In my brain. And there is no ‘but.’ It’s been there for months, and it’s been growing.” She drew a shallow, sharp breath. “My symptoms—”

“The headaches,” he said hoarsely.

She nodded.

“Travis. I’m—I’m dying.”

The room tilted. He thought he was going to pass out but he couldn’t, he had to be strong for his Jennie.

Besides, it couldn’t be true. He told her that she must have been misdiagnosed.

She got her briefcase. She had a file in it. Reports, scan results.

The diagnosis was accurate.

He told her how foolish it was to rely on tests from one hospital.

She spread the reports over the dining room table.

The tests had been repeated in three different major medical centers.

He stared at the papers. An ic

y hand seemed to close around his heart.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he finally said.

“I should have. I should have let you know the truth so that you wouldn’t—you wouldn’t have become involved with—”

He grabbed her. Silenced her with a kiss that tasted of terror and panic and desperation.

“I love you,” he said. “I love you! Do you think knowing this—this thing is inside your head would have kept me from loving you?”

She wept.

He wanted to weep with her, but his brain was whirring. He needed a plan.

Minutes later, he had one.

“I know people in Germany. In the U.K. Hell, I know people all over the world. We’ll fly to Europe—”

“Travis. My beloved Travis.” Her voice broke as she looked up into his eyes. “It’s all over. I’ve just come from my doctor. He says—”

Travis slammed his fist against the table.

“I don’t give a good goddamn what your doctor says! I’m not going to let this happen. I refuse to let it happen. I love you, love you, love you—”

She rose on her toes. Kissed him. Kissed him again and again, until he responded.

“Make love to me,” she pleaded. “Now. Make love to me—”

He took her there, in the living room, with passion, with tenderness, giving her all that he was.

She gave him all that she was in return.

At the end, she cried. And fell asleep in his arms.

He held her tightly to him, felt the beating of her heart, the warmth of her breath.

“I will not let you die,” he said, his voice low and hard and fierce with determination. “I—will—not—let—it—happen!”

Finally, exhausted, he slept...

* * *

And dreamed.

Jennie was standing next to him. Leaning over him.

She was weeping.

“Goodbye, my love,” she whispered, “goodbye.”

Her lips brushed his forehead.

He stirred. Came awake...

And found himself alone.

“Jennie?” he said.

He went from room to room. There was no sign of her.

Panic beat leathery wings in his chest.

He called her on her cell phone.

She didn’t answer.

He ran for his car. Drove to her apartment.

She wasn’t there.

He checked her office on campus.